The Gentleman and Me
by Clementine Folchart
Summary: Eliza Yates is now a young woman. She owns a successful horse doctoring/training business. But she yearns for Calvin, the boy who traveled with her on her journey to her Papa. Will he come to her? What adventures will they have together? This is a continuation of "The Gentleman Outlaw and Me," by Mary Downing Hahn, of which I own nothing. Enjoy!
1. Longing

The Gentleman

And Me

Prologue

It was five years ago that the Gentleman Outlaw kissed me on a moonlit night in the graveyard. Now I'm twenty-one, and I'm a horse trainer and horse doctor. I don't know what happened to Calvin Thaddeus Featherbone, the Second. He'd be twenty-six by now, and finished with college; if he went at all.

I try to tell myself that I don't really care what happened to him, but deep down I know I do care. But for now, I'm going to push those feelings back where they came from, because I have more important things to tend to.

I am now a highly demanded horse trainer and horse doctor. If someone caught a mustang and wanted it trained, they would bring it to me. If someone's horse had been acting up lately, they would bring it to me to have it checked up. The list goes on and on.

It is quite odd that I, a woman in the eighteen hundreds, would be a horse trainer and doctor. Not many women can claim that title. It takes a lot of getting used to. As the old saying goes; "What the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't like." That's exactly how these people are. I've lost many customers to "farmers" who spread rumors about me. By and by, though, the people have come to know me, even trust me.

I get payed well, especially since I'm the Sheriff's daughter. There's not one person in Tinville that wants to get on Sheriff Yates' bad side. I have my own little house now, next my Papa's. It isn't just Papa's anymore, though. He married Miss Jenny a while back, and now they're happy as can be, with a little red-headed eight-year-old girl.

My stable is in back of my house, and it fairly looms behind it. Multiple horses are always stabled there, including my mare and stallion, Nellie and Caesar. Caesar is named after my faithful dog, who passed on a year ago. He lived a good long life, and he was the only one-besides Calvin, of course-that came along on my journey to find my papa.

That journey was, shall I say, amusing. You shall also see, though, that my next adventure is far more amusing than my former adventure, as I...see, I'm already giving the story away!

Chapter 1

I awoke in my little room in my little house with beautiful sunlight piercing my eyes, calling me to wake and greet the day.

I sat up, yawned, and stretched. I washed my face, changed from my shift into my usual gauchos and blouse, and put my hair up. My fiery red hair had grown down to the small of my back again in the five years since I chopped it off. It wasn't as curly as it had been, though.

I went into my little kitchen, made myself some breakfast, and then went out the back door to the horses.

They all gave one collective whinny when I threw open the stable doors, as usual. Some people say I have a gift. The horses all love me, and they do whatever I ask of them. They are like my children, and I dote on them.

I feed all the horses, making sure to pay special attention to their diets. As I walk down the aisle, giving them their feed buckets, my thoughts wander to Calvin. I wonder what he's up to. I wonder if he's gotten himself into a mess again. And I realize, quite suddenly, that I miss him.

I stop walking. I'm at the last stall, Caesar's stall, and he nudges me to give him his breakfast. I give it to him, automatically, and then sit down right where I'm standing.

I miss Calvin. Calvin, of all people! The person that got me into so many predicaments, that stole my money, that brought me to my papa. Oh Calvin, I think, Where are you? Why haven't you come back to me? And then I scold myself for thinking like that about him. He probably doesn't even remember me.

I get up, determined not to break down and cry like a sissy. I finish feeding the horses, then I take care of the ones that need tending. Some of them are here because they're ailing, others are here to be trained.

By the time I'm finished with all the horses, it's three o'clock. I'm hungry and dusty and tired. I go into my house, wash up, and change into clean clothes. Then I walk next door to my Papa's house.

Papa, Miss Jenny (who I just call Jenny now) and their daughter, Susanna, are in the kitchen, all helping to prepare supper. When I walk in the door, Susanna comes running up to me and hugs me.

"Eliza! I made something just for you! Do you want to see it?" She asked, bursting with enthusiasm. I, not one to dampen her spirit, replied:

"Yes, of course! But can it wait until after supper, honey? Don't you want to eat the lovely food your Mama made for us?"

"Yes, yes I do! I'm so hungry I could eat a whole cow! Mama's made our favorite, mashed potatoes and honey chicken!"

Papa came over and hugged me.

"Hello, Eliza. How was work today?"

"Lovely and tiring at the same time, as always." I smiled at my Papa, whom I loved so much. I gave him a big hug and kiss, and he returned my affection.

"Supper's ready! Get your mushy selves over to the table!" Jenny called with a laugh. I sat down at the table at my usual place, and for the rest of the dinner I stuffed myself full with food and laughter.

By the time I finished supper, cleaned everything up, talked for a while in the parlor, and then bid everyone good night, it was eight o'clock. I washed and changed into my nightgown.

I made sure all the doors were locked, then went into my little bedroom and took my hair down. I brushed my ginger tresses out, then put them into one long braid.

I said my prayers, then crawled into bed, exhausted.

My thoughts couldn't help wandering back to Calvin. Curly-haired, pale skinned Calvin. His image in my mind was so sharp, so real. I almost thought he was right in front of me, but I knew he wasn't.

I fell asleep thinking of the feeling of his lips on my cheek.

I woke up with a pleased expression on my face. Then I made myself snap out of it. He wasn't coming back to me; he had forgotten me. And besides, I didn't need no man to keep me going.

All morning, as I did my chores with the horses, I did them all perfectly and without flaw to prove to myself that I didn't need anybody else.

I realized that I didn't need anybody else; I wanted somebody else. And that somebody was Calvin.

The next few days passed by in a blur. Get up, wash, change, eat, do chores, eat, wash change, sleep. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced. I was distant, not knowing what I was doing, just going through the motions.

When Sunday came, I was compelled not to go, but I didn't want to worry my family.

So I dressed myself in my best, a long, flowing, sky-blue dress. Papa says it brings out the blue in my eyes. I put up my hair, tucked a flower into it, and went to church.

Sitting on the hard wooden pews, I couldn't help but think about the time on my journey to get to Papa that Calvin and I had traveled in the third-class train, the seats being not unlike these. Unlike those seats, Calvin was not next to me.

Dear God, if you can hear me, please bring Calvin back to me. At least show me, somehow, wether he remembers me or not. Amen.


	2. Preperation

The Gentleman

And Me

Chapter 2

Now, I know that life isn't just one big fairytale. I've known it for a while. Life hasn't been easy for me.

But when the telegram came from Calvin on Monday, it was like I was living in a fairytale.

ON MY WAY TO TINVILLE STOP WILL ARRIVE ON TUESDAY STOP CALVIN FEATHERBONE THE SECOND STOP

I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me go back to Sunday, after church.

I had finished the feeding the horses, and was sitting in my kitchen, reading the newspaper. I guess I read it for a long time, because before I knew it, it was time for bed. I readied for bed, then knelt down next to my bed.

Dear God, if you hear me, please let Calvin come. I know I already asked you, but I figured you're so busy that it wouldn't hurt to remind you. Amen.

The next morning, I woke up, and I felt refreshed like I hadn't for a while. I felt in my bones that something good was going to happen that day. And it did.

I completed my usual morning routine, fed the horses, and took care of the ones that needed it. By that time it was three o'clock, on Monday. Time to go to the post office to get any mail that came to me.

I washed up a bit, and walked down the main street of Tinville, taking my time. The dusty main street had it's usual hustle and bustle about it; dogs running helter-skelter across the street, boys chasing them, men smoking cigars on benches in the shade, buggies rattling by, horses clip-clopping past, tired travelers on their backs heading for the hotels or, most likely, the saloons, girls strolling by, hanging on their sweet heart's arms, with their boot heels clicking on the wooden sidewalk and their skirts swishing.

How I wished Calvin were here! That rascal had wheedled his way into my heart and wasn't going to budge. That no-good scum bag! I didn't need him!

I walked faster towards the post office. When I arrived at the door, I pushed it open and let it slam behind me.

"Well, well, Eliza, you're not in a good mood today! I best just give you your mail and send you on your way." That was the bachelorette post mistress, Sally May Harket. She's a good friend of mine, being the same age as me.

"I'm sorry, Sally May. I don't have a very good temper today. Is there anything for me?" She made a silly face at me and then handed me a letter.

"Not very much today. Mail's been slow around here. Must be because of the heat. Hasn't it just been awful?" I nodded, not really listening. The letter was from a customer; they were on their way back from a trip and would pick up their mare when they came back. She had been pregnant, and they hadn't wanted to take her with them on their long trip. Nothing of much importance. Not what I had been hoping for.

"Bye, Sally. See ya next Monday. Stay cool." I turned and walked out the door.

"Bye Liza!" She hollered after me. I barely heard her. I was disappointed. I had walked into the post office with my hopes high in the sky, and had come out with them as low as dirt. I trudged slowly home.

"Miss Eliza! Miss Eliza! Wait!" I turned my head to see a boy come running up to me waving a yellow envelope in his hand. It was Billy, our local telegram boy.

"Miss Eliza, I've got a telegram for you!" He handed me the envelope and I ripped it open, my hopes returned to their former state. The telegram consisted of the message written above. I think those were the best words I had ever read. I fairly split my face, my grin was so wide. I kissed little Billy smack on the cheek, gave him a whole twenty-five cents tip, and sent him back to the telegraph office.

I don't remember if I ran or flew the rest of the way home; I felt like I was walking on air.

Calvin's coming! Calvin's coming! Calvin's coming! was all I thought while I flew around the house, tidying everything up.

My fairytale was coming true! I started counting down the minutes until he came. But I didn't sit with idle hands. I rushed back to town and bought all the trappings to fill ten men for ten days. I washed all my clothes and all the linens and set them out to dry. I took out all my cleaning supplies and scrubbed the whole house from top to bottom 'till it was shinier than a newly minted silver dollar. I went out to the stable and swept and dusted and put the tack and feed rooms to right. I brought in the laundry, folded it and put it all away, then took a bath and scrubbed myself 'till I was even more shiny than the house.

By the time I had finished my mad rampage of cleaning, it was nine o'clock at night. I got in a clean nightgown, and knelt before my bed.

Dear God, thank you so very very much for sending Calvin to me. I didn't know how much I missed him 'till he sent that telegram. Thank you God, and please bless Calvin. Amen.

As soon as I hit the pillow, I was out faster'n you could say jackrabbit.

I woke up, and I remembered right away what was going to happen that day. Calvin's coming! Calvin's coming! Calvin's coming!

I rushed through my chores, and handed the mare and her filly back to their owners who had sent me the letter yesterday.

I went back into the house and washed up a bit, then hastened over to the jailhouse, where my papa was at work.

The door banged behind me as I hurried in to tell Papa the good news. He was sitting on his big oak desk, filing some papers.

"Papa, Calvin's coming! He sent me a telegram yesterday and he's arriving today! I can't wait for him, Papa! It's been eight years! How do you think he'll look? Do you think he'll have changed? Do you think he's still talks like he swallowed a dictionary? Oh Papa, I'm so excited!"

"I can tell that you're excited, Eliza. Calm down! When Calvin comes you'll get to answer all those questions yourself." Papa sat me down in his chair and started pacing.

"I have a question for you, Liza. Where will he stay? He certainly won't stay with you, and it would be rude to send him to the hotel...He can stay in our guest room! Problem solved!"

"Oh Papa, I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself! He can stay in my barn and I promise I won't let him into the house at night."

"Eliza, my girl. You've grown up so fast. You have turned into a wonderful, independent, young woman with a free spirit. Don't let Calvin, or any man, tie down that spirit. I love you, Eliza." He kissed me on the cheek and led me to the door.

"I hear a train coming in, with one very lucky man aboard it. Go meet the train, Liza." With that, I ran all the way to the station, where I saw the train just pulling in.


End file.
